Zero tolerance weapons policy at a middle school...

MidKnight

MidKnight

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http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060403/NEWS01/604030389/1002/OPINION

A Far-Eastside couple say they are stunned that a Warren Township Schools principal suspended their son and recommended his expulsion for possession of a pocketknife even though he turned the knife in to the office as soon as he arrived at school.

The school's rules

Warren Township Schools' code of conduct addresses both the possession of a weapon as well as knowledge of possession of a weapon. Students are required to report knowledge of weapons or threats of violence to the school administration.

• Weapons: Weapons are defined as guns and other firearms, knives, blades, Chinese throwing stars, brass knuckles, stun guns, lookalike weapons, paint guns, explosives and ammunition.

• Expulsions: School policy requires expelling a student for at least one calendar year for possession of a firearm on school property. Other cases are at the discretion of school administrators.

Source: Warren Township Schools

After turning in the knife, the eighth-grader was suspended from Stonybrook Middle School for 10 days and may be expelled.

Elizabeth Voge-Wehrheim and Frank Wehrheim, the boy's mother and stepfather, have hired Indianapolis attorney Lawrence T. Newman to represent them.

"This young man made the most responsible choice under any policy possible," Newman said of the boy, Elliot Voge. "They are treating him as the most irresponsible student under the circumstances."
Elliot, 14, said he was walking to the school entrance in the brisk weather March 3 and had placed his hands in his coat pocket when he felt the Swiss army pocketknife in the pocket.

"I went straight to the office right inside (the front door)," he said.

He said he handed the knife to Teri Donahue, the school's treasurer, and told her he had brought it to school by mistake.

As a result of Elliot's actions, the school's principal, Jimmy Meadows, suspended Elliot for the maximum 10 school days as allowed by law and recommended Elliot be expelled. A confidential expulsion hearing is scheduled for April 10.

Suspending and seeking to expel Elliot until June 6 under the circumstances have so stunned Elliot, his mother and stepfather that they agreed to go public with his situation.

"When Mr. Meadows said he was referring Elliot for expulsion, I was in shock," said Voge-Wehrheim.
Jeff Swensson, Warren Township Schools' associate superintendent, said a principal in Indiana has the discretion to suspend a student for virtually any reason for up to 10 school days by state law but can only recommend expulsion.

A "very well-documented" hearing is held before a student is expelled, and there's no foregone conclusion, Swensson said.

On March 21, Superintendent Peggy Hinckley appointed an external hearing examiner. She wrote "there's reasonable grounds for investigation" after she reviewed the charges.
In his expulsion recommendation summary dated March 6, Meadows wrote that "Elliot informed me that he had a knife in his coat pocket because he was working outside on some wooden objects the day before.

"Elliot put the knife into his pocket after he completed the tasks," Meadows' summary continued, "and forgot to remove the knife from his coat."

Elliot said he was stunned to feel the knife in his pocket just seconds after he left a van about 7:20 a.m. March 3 that was driven by a classmate's mother. She had dropped him off near the school's entrance.
Elliot said in an interview that he was on the front porch at his home on Thursday, March 2 -- a day off because it was a professional day for teachers -- with his brother Tristan, 10, using Tristan's Swiss army knife to whittle wood.

Swiss army pocketknives are actually multipurpose tools, which may include a screwdriver, pliers and a bottle cap opener.

Meadows, in his expulsion-recommendation summary, wrote: "Realizing that the knife was an item he should not have on school property, Elliot immediately went into the main office and handed the knife to our school treasurer."

Meadows noted in his summary that "throughout the entire investigation and student due-process, Elliott (sic) was a model student."

The principal pointed out he asked Elliot "if he knew of another situation at Stonybrook where a knife was involved and the consequences given. Elliot acknowledged he knew first-hand of the situation and outcome."

Elliot later explained in an interview that a knife fell out of a pocket of a classmate in February in a fourth-period class, and the boy was suspended and later expelled.

In recommending Elliot's expulsion, Meadows, who could not be reached for comment last week, noted, "I personally wrote to Stonybrook parents twice this year concerning weapons, the school's actions, protocols and procedures. I also reiterated the importance in communication with our students concerning this serious matter."

Besides being notified by letter on March 21 of the expulsion effort against Elliot, the boy's mother received a letter dated March 20 from Michael J. Wallpe, Warren Township Schools' associate superintendent of school improvement.

Ironically, the letter states that Elliot is recommended for advanced placement courses in English, science and social studies for his freshman year at Warren Central High School.

Voge-Wehrheim said her son's suspension already has damaged grades on his latest report card.
She and Elliot note he has always had good grades, has participated in a variety of school activities and has never had any other disciplinary matter arise against him in his school years.
The family's attorney said school officials' actions send students the wrong message.
"Their message is to be dishonest, take more chances," Newman said.

He said Elliot could not be worse off at this point in school discipline than if he had taken the knife to school intentionally, kept it with him in school where it could pose a risk and just happened to get caught.

"What's the incentive?" Newman said of students who want to do the right thing.

School policy requires students "to report knowledge of deadly or dangerous weapons or threats of violence to the school administration."

Elliot "didn't want to keep it (the knife) on his person," Newman said. "The school is saying, 'Don't make this responsible choice.' "
Click to expand...

I don't believe there should be weapons (knives or guns) in schools. Zero tolerance policies, however, seem to leave little room for extenuating (sp??) circumstances.

Any thoughts?
 
I think that they should have boiled the kid in oil and tarred and feathered him.
In addition, I think that the parents should be fined at least $100,000 dollars
and be forced to spend six month in the stocks being publicly humiliated. I
think that the father and mother should also be rendered infertile in order to
prevent such an incredible crime from ever happening again. I think that the
inmates are running the asylum. I think that I am glad that my children are
grown and I don't have to deal with institutional a-holes any more.
 
This is just BS. The kid tried to act resposibly & got shafted.

I don't agree with these zero tolerance policies that are showing up everywhere.
 
I teach electrical shop in a vocational school. You can imagine that there are any number of dangerous tools used by the students every day. A few years ago, when I was teaching electrical shop in Newton, on of my students was suspended (mandatory penalty) for having on his person a Leatherman multi-tool (with integrated knife blade). The liberal housemaster (who is no longer at Newton North) confiscated the tool and put it on a photocopier for "evidence". The sharp edge of the knife presented a stark contrast when photocopied and this housemaster used this ploy to present it as a "deadly weapon" and tried to get the kid expelled. Fortunately, the Principal used common sense in that the tool/knife was not being brandished in a threatening way and any/all charges were dropped. What sense did any of this make when my students used utility knives, awls, screwdrivers, and other quite dangerous hand tools? Much of the same logic is applied to the libs battle for gun-control...

Regards,
Chris
 
The kid brought it to the office. It wasn't as if he got caught with it and then tried to play dumb. He got the shaft but the gangsta wannabe who could be hiding whatever in his size 48 pants, even though he weighs 135lbs soaking wet, goes on about his day trying to be a badass
 
OK, all those who used to have a pocket knife when they went to school raise your hand.

[rockon] [banana] [rockon] [banana] [rockon]

And how many of you ever used it as a 'weapon'?

671pm2j.jpg


As I thought....
 
It must be so comforting for parents to know that their children's schools are so secure. Why back in the 80's I carried my old Buck Stockman into the Old Executive Office Building and the West Wing of the White House, including the Cabinet Room and the Oval Office, on several occassions. Why those slouches in Executive Protection never once so much as batted an eye. Just try that sort of thing at your kid's school. [rolleyes]

Ken
 
OK, all those who used to have a pocket knife when they went to school raise your hand.
Click to expand...

Hand raised, and I'm a yound buck. I still carry one. It's the one in the picture to our left.
 
I used to carry my Cub Scout pocket knife in elementary school. I'd clip it on my belt and wear my uniform on the days that we had Cub Scout meeting.
 
My old man told me when he was in middle school (early 60s) that he'd take his .22 bolt action with him on the bus because he was in the rifle club. Just kept the bolt open and unloaded. This was in a suburb of Harrisburg PA, not East Bejesus, Kansas
 
I carried a full-size pocket knife to and from school from the 2nd grade onward. I had to walk all the way to the end of my street (maybe 1000') to the school yard. We used to whittle twigs in the school yard before and after school, etc. [wave] [rockon]

Never used it as a weapon on school property anywhere.
 
I'm also one who used to carry a knife to school. I am also glad I no longer have a kid in school. Son's voke school got just as bad also.
 
I've been carrying a knife everywhere since I was in grammer school as well. I think that I got my first knife before I got my first gun. And that was 6...but maybe not by much.


The only think I used my knife for was cleaning my nails, cutting string, and like Len, sharpening sticks...and maybe my pencil every once and a while.

I remember a teacher using my knife one time to cut off a string hanging down from her sweater one time.

It's out of control. And I'm not looking forward to when my kids are in school.
 
I love the message that it sends to the youth of America:

Don't bother trying to do the right thing because you'll get screwed. Just make sure you cover your ass really well while you're doing the wrong thing...
 
There is a zero tolerance policy where my daughter goes to school. Because of that policy, I have instructed her not to even talk about how much fun she is having at the range shooting HER 9mm and my AR 15.

All that has to happen is somebody overhearing her talk about shooting, going home and telling the folks, next thing you know my daughter is planning the next Columbine and is looking at expulsion. I know its a big leap but we've seen things like it happen.

Case in point: Last year, she was in the 7th grade. She was sitting at the lunch table with her group of friends. One of the kids had a left over Prime rib sandwich and had set it out on the table. He had forgotten someting or other and got up from the table to go get it. He turned to the table and said, like I bet everybody here has done, "any of you guys touch that sandwich and I'll kill ya".......Well it was overheard by a teacher, next thing you know, the kid's in the office, parents called in from work and the kid was given a 5 day suspension. You know damn well that the comment wasnt serious. We've all said it a million times. Zero Tolerance!

Its sad too because my daughter is having so much fun shooting and she cant really talk about it to her friends.......Its a shame.
 
SiameseRat said:
I love the message that it sends to the youth of America:

Don't bother trying to do the right thing because you'll get screwed. Just make sure you cover your ass really well while you're doing the wrong thing...
Click to expand...
Kids need to be taught reality. "Tell all, confess everything, and it will make things better" may work in Sunday School, but not in the real world. The real world is just starting a bit earlier for kids now days than it used to.

It is important that every kid be taught that the consqeunces of making a confession without a "deal" in place is the loss of all currency with which to make a deal.
 
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Moron alert! Just file this under the "inmates running the asylum". It is the Principal that needs a competency hearing. Common sense is not so common....
Thankfully, the 14 year old gets it, and has shown to reasonable people that he does.
Bravo to the parents, for a job well done.
 
My daughter is in 2nd grade, and I take her shooting sometimes. One day we were cleaning up the empty brass .22 casings, and she asked "what if I bring one of these to school to show my friends?".

The honest answer would be, "you would expelled, I'd be arrested", but I just said "when we go shooting, it's our business, it's nobody else's business".

It's so sickening sometimes.
 
hminsky said:
My daughter is in 2nd grade, and I take her shooting sometimes. One day we were cleaning up the empty brass .22 casings, and she asked "what if I bring one of these to school to show my friends?".

The honest answer would be, "you would expelled, I'd be arrested", but I just said "when we go shooting, it's our business, it's nobody else's business".

It's so sickening sometimes.
Click to expand...
You forgot the 51A report filed with DSS[wink]
 
Fourth or fifth grade, the filmstrip projector got jammed. I'll be damed if I wasn't goig to getmy well deserved nap in the dark, (^_^) so I whip out my handy Swiss Army Knife (Hiker edition with the locking blade) and promptly removed the screws that allowed access to the film transport and removed the piece of paper that was jammed in it. Closed it all back up and took my seat. Next thing i know, I'm being sent to the principal's office for snoring in class.

Yes, that's a 100% true story.

Man I used to love to whip it out in class. (^_^)

Only had one teacher ever make a comment about a knife in school. Was my idiot math chair in high School. The same 'brain' that told my parents I wasn't "college material". His comment was "are you supposed to have that?" My reply was something like "The reason man evolved above the beasts was by the use of tools, this is my tool." Got a whole rash of picking on after that by other kids "So, have you played with your tool today?" "I hear you like to fondle your tool." etc. I am so glad life isn't like High School.

Although from the sounds of it, those same unevolved imbecells are now running the school.

*sigh* I have a few more years before I have to worry about it.
 
Oh, just you guys wait that have younger kids. I said if I had another to put through the public school system, I wouldn't.
 
MidKnight said:
I don't believe there should be weapons (knives or guns) in schools. Zero tolerance policies, however, seem to leave little room for extenuating (sp??) circumstances.
Click to expand...

Um... it wasn't a weapon; it was a swiss army knife.

I've carried a pocketknife every day of my life since I passed my Knife & Axe merit badge in the Cub Scouts. Dad's reaction? We went down to Goodman's Hardware and he bought me a brand new 4 blade knife of my own.

Currently, there are on me: a SuperLeatherman, a Kershaw 1660CKT, a Case Hobo Trapper, and a SwissChamp.

True story: When I was 10 and at summer camp in NJ, I was whittling a stick one day when another kid decided he wanted my knife. He grabbed it by the blade and in pure reflex I pulled back. Sliced his hand nicely, too. Counselors wanted to take the knife away from me; I told then they could go call my father instead, as I hadn't done anything wrong with it and it was the other kid's fault for grabbing the knife. Since I had witnesses to back me up, I got to keep my knife.

I'd probably get arrested if it happened today here in MA... even with the witnesses!
 
I told the truth once in High School when I was caught, and they threw the book at me. I then laughed and the principal asked what I was laughing about. I told him "I just turned myself in, and was honest, and I get this in return. Sir you can be damned sure the next time I will lie through my teeth." After that little comment he reduced the penalty to a detention.
 

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